Breeders' Cup 2017 Day One Results: Rushing Fall, Battle of Midway, Mendelssohn, & Forever Unbridled Victorious

I don't recall previously having appreciated Richie Sambora, but to be fair I also don't recall previously trying. Ne'ertheless, he crooned with the best of the second-tier of them and the Del Mar festivities were under-way.

The actual racing portion of 2017's gala edition of the Breeders' Cup kicked off with Rushing Fall taking the Juvenile Fillies Turf under Javier Castellano. The daughter of More Than Ready was placed mid-pack early-on, ahead of her usual further-back positioning in order to over-come her 11th-hole start. She went four-wide at the top of the stretch, running most'a the way there behind her Chad Brown stable-mate Significant From. Rushing Fall did the mile-long run in a time of 1:36.09 finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of Best Performance. She remains an unblemished 3-3 in her young career, paying $8.00, $4.60, and $3.40 and bringing her up to a $685,000 earnings tally.

The day started rough for Aidan O'Brien, with September strolling lackadaisically outta the gate and into a seven/eight-wide placing; whilst Happily stuck to the rail and refused to fire -- finishing last. September proved to be far from the best to-day, but still may-be the most talented pony at-play here. Although that terrible on-set was the second of such in her six-starts. I know they break slower in jolly olde 'cross the bloody pond -- but that was s l o w.

Next up was a bunch of people on my TV presented in such a way as to make me believe I shoulda had an iota of a clue whom they were. Then the Lost Wages Mile and its million-buck purse. Sharp Azteca got runned-down by the 14-1 Battle of Midway in as much a battle as you'll see in the stretch. Sharp finished second to the upstart Midway whom too finished in third in the Kentucky Derby -- having gone off there at 40-1. He did to-day's deed with blinkers on and French jockey Flavien Prat atop. Now there is a fella on the rise. He must'a felt five-feet tall after this. Awesome Slaw ran a gritty third and paid $7.00 in doing-so. 

Accelerate, Practical Joke (a personal favorite), and the 2-1 Mor Surprise, in that given order were disappointing from least-to-most. The favorites, two races into the saddle'd Fall Classic, were fairing none-too-well. Also off to a rough-start was Bob Baffert. I pet his hair when it comes on my screen. If that sounds weird, I do not.

Then there was the Juvenile Turf and Snack Tray, 7, asking me how many more races were on. He wanted to take the remote. "A LOT more," I told him. Mendelssohn rallied coming off a rail-stuck trip to win by a length. It was cute how jockey Ryan Moore called the horse a dummy in the post-race interview and also how the lady interviewer called herself a dummy as well. The 9-2 dummy was the day's first favorite to finish-first. Untamed Domain came in second, Voting Control third. No word as to their respective intelligence quotients.

As to IQ, Aidan O'Brien was back to being the genius he is after this, Mendelssohn's first USofA race in-which he took the lead from Sands of Mali just past the eighth, then pulled away late.

Main Event time. The Distaff. The $2M Distaff. It's kinda'a big deal. There was an even bigger upset. That might be a half-tick hyperbolic -- but the 2-1 favorite Elate finished in the middle of the eight-deep field. Ridden by John Velazquez, Forever Unbridled ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.25, finishing ahead'a the pack at odds of 7-2. Abel Tasman then Paradise Woods followed the bay mare home. 

'Twas the five-year-old's third race in-a-row and off a 73-day layoff. 'Twas too trainer Dallas Stewart's second career Cup victory. He paid Jose Rosario not to ride Forever Unbridled to-day in a scenario of no small tsuris. I can't imagine D.Stewart minds now. J.Velazquez is now three-for-three under her, taking her four-wide to the unfettered win. 

Stellar Wind gave no response whenst beckoned, and was eased into last-place. Tomorrow comes more BC races, and of course the long-awaited Classic show-down twixt Arrogate and Gun Runner. I shall prove Shakespeare wrong in his "If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as to work," yet. 

Wilder-Stiverne II is to-morrow, as-well. Check out my Ringside Report column: Kap’s Smoke Ring Vol. 9: Deontay Wilder – Bermane Stiverne II: Preview & Prediction.

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